Fort Zumwalt School District
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Every day, the science of reading is in full motion in our elementary schools. Lessons built to teach Kindergarteners how to write the shapes of letters also have them working on the sounds those letters make. Students work on their own, and as a group, offering encouragement and celebrating successes. When it's time to take in more complex texts, Kindergarteners settle in to hear stories read aloud and discover how pictures and words work together to convey new learning about characters and informational topics. They share what they’ve learned, but they also share what they wonder. This helps build their desire to explore and inquire, their ability to collaborate and create respectful discussion, and their self expression and curiosity. All of this work on soft skills powered by reading! Building the workforce of tomorrow one kindergarten reader at a time. It’s in our mission: Educate, Empower and Equip Students to Excel.
Dear Fort Zumwalt Community,
March is National Reading Month. It has been a great time to reinforce how critical this fundamental skill is to the growth and development of our students. Reading is more than just an academic requirement; it is a gateway to knowledge, creativity, and success in every aspect of life.
I was fortunate to grow up in a home where reading, both for fun and for knowledge, was a priority. To this day, I consider reading to be one of my favorite hobbies. There is nothing quite like discovering a new favorite book or author or the satisfaction of finishing a challenging novel. Walking the halls of our elementary schools, I get to see teachers and students breaking down the basics, how letters build words and how words build sentences
Future site aquatic Center
At their March meeting, the Board approved the sale of $50 million in bonds for the continued work voters approved in 2022 when they passed FZ Prop 4. The Board heard from Lorenzo Boyd of Stifel Financial, who reported that the district's AA- rating is among the top 15 percent of all school districts who have a rating from Standard and Poors. In addition, the latest sale is planned to be paid off in only eight years, saving interest payments. The bond issuance followed a January update from Dr. Paul Myers, Superintendent. Overall, FZSD has been consistent with architect/engineer estimates for projects corresponding with bids and final costs, Myers said. Inflationary pressures are noticeable ...
On April 8, voters in Fort Zumwalt School District will choose two members for the Board of Education. There are four candidates running for a three-year term. Voters will vote for TWO. MORE
St. Charles County Apprenticeship Accelerator
19 high school students are the first to participate in the St. Charles County Apprenticeship Accelerator. This unique collaboration between the county’s five public school districts, local manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Labor creates apprenticeship opportunities for students as young as 16 interested in manufacturing careers. They complete classwork at school that corresponds with the hands-on learning they do in their 2,000 apprenticeship hours at work. Upon completion, they will earn 45 credit hours from St. Charles Community College and a nationally recognized USDOL apprentice certification. Together, these 19 students will earn about $700,000 working their apprenticeship hours and produce more than $3 million in manufactured goods. go.FZSD.us/Apprenticeships
Budget Update
In addition to monthly budget updates, the Board reviews the budget three times during the year. The Original Budget is presented for approval in June to take effect in July. The Board is then updated with the December and May revisions. The Board approved the December budget revision, which reflected the $1.4 million adjustment for the district’s insurance policy from the Missouri United School Insurance Council (M.U.S.I.C.). These adjustments impacted numerous districts across the state. Along with several other external factors, it has impacted the district’s projected operating fund balances. Those other factors include:
Interest rate cuts. The federal interest rate cut has lowered projected returns on investments by half-a-million dollars.
Changes to tax law. The full impact of the senior citizen property tax credit is yet to be determined as the program is in its first year.
Uncertainty of legislative activity. When the Missouri legislative session opened in January, initial information indicated the state would not be increasing per pupil payments under the State Adequacy Target (SAT) as had been previously projected. FZSD had budgeted conservatively for the projected increase. Nonetheless, this change would have been an estimated $4.3 million reduction in revenues for Fiscal Year 2026 as well as for subsequent years, with no proposed alternative to replenish the funds.
Chief Financial Officer Brian Whittle reported that the current budget remains on track, but external forces remain a concern. “Our focus remains on proactive planning and fiscal responsibility,” Whittle said. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and adjust our strategies as needed.”
Click the link to learn more about each celebration
Attend a game or see a show. Senior Passes are available. Residents older than 55 can pick-up a Senior Pass to Fort Zumwalt activities at our District Office. You will have to show ID to prove you qualify. Passes are good for many events at Fort Zumwalt high schools. Not good for Tournaments or MSHSAA postseason play.
Empower your early learner. FZSD Parents as Teachers provides families with essential resources, developmental guidance, and support for children ages birth to 5 years. Families who participate are more likely to have students who arrive at kindergarten ready to learn, both academically and socially. They even provide developmental screenings, giving families and educators insight on how to best support each individual learner. Check out go.FZSD.us/Kindergarten for more information on enrolling your student. Or, share the link to sign up for a screening.
Join us for Soup's On! Twice each year our Superintendent hosts a luncheon for residents older than 55. Our event scheduled for April 3 is full, but watch for dates for next school year in this newsletter and on our website calendar.
Support your school's community projects.
Donate to help with lunch balances or stock our weekend backpack pantry.
Visit our fz.k12.mo.us for regular updates in our LiveFeed.
School Calendars 101
The Fort Zumwalt School District Calendar is outlined in Policy IC by the provisions set forth in Missouri Revised Statute.
The school year can include no fewer than 1,044 hours of actual student attendance. (MO R§ 171.131)
The calendar must start no earlier than 14 days prior to the first Monday in September. (MO R§ 171.131)
36 hours of Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) time is available. [The FZSD day is 6.5 hours, so this means only 5 full days can be utilized.] (MO R§ 171.131)
Up to six inclement weather days, if used, must be made up. (MO R§ 171.033)
If the district should use more than 6 inclement weather days, half of the days missed after six have to be made-up, up to a total of 10 make-up days. (MO R§ 171.131)
For a school district that is located wholly or partially in a county with a charter form of government [which St. Charles County is] or a school district that is located wholly or partially in a city with more than thirty thousand inhabitants [which O’Fallon and St. Peters are], a minimum of 169 school days (MO R§ 171.131)
You can connect with big events for the 2025-2026 school year from any of our websites. In the Events section, use the See All Events button. Arrow through the calendar and hover over an event to add it to your calendar. Use the Subscribe To A Calendar button to sync any of our calendars with yours. All of these features are also available through the FZ App, free for Apple or Android. The 2025-2026 information is now online. Get it at a glance at go.FZSD.us/QuickCalendar.
